I’m so excited to finally be able to share the cover to THE RESISTANCE, the fifth book in my dystopian romantic adventure series, The Union. My amazing cover designer, Mark Sgarbossa really outdid himself this time. I think this is my favorite cover yet! See below for information on the book and series, preorder links, and a teaser.
THE RESISTANCE (The Union Series #5) by T.H. Hernandez
Synopsis When Evan and Cyrus suddenly find themselves battling on two fronts, fighting back is about to get twice as hard.
Living in an encampment in the Ruins, life is harsh for most Unis in the Resistance, but for Cyrus and the other Ruins survivors, it’s just more of the same. While training for their ultimate mission to take down the Uprising, tragedy strikes, turning Evan’s and Cyrus’s world upside down. Before they can recover, they discover someone in their ranks is working against them.
Facing tougher odds than they ever imagined, the group realizes the only hope they have of saving the world they know is to find help. When no one is above suspicion, even accomplishing everyday tasks is fraught with danger, but seeking out reinforcements could mean the end of the Resistance and all of them along with it.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Rough or Tough. Here’s a line from Chapter 1 of THE RESISTANCE, book 5 in The Union Series, from Evan’s POV.
“Oh really. Is it tough being held against your will? Are these conditions too rough for you, Draya? Maybe you’d prefer a concrete closet where you can sleep in your own shit.”
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today is release day for THE INVASION, the fourth book in the young adult dystopian romance series, The Union. See below for information on the book, buy links for the series, an exclusive except, and a new teaser. You can currently pick up THE UNION, book 1 in the series, for just $0.99!
Synopsis They failed. Evan and Cyrus risked everything to keep the Uprising from attacking the unarmed Union, but something went terribly wrong. Evan’s home has been invaded by soldiers who are killing government officials and occupying the homes of her fellow citizens.
Captured by the Uprising, Evan fights for her life and her sanity, desperate to escape so she can find Cyrus and her family.
Reeling from an unexpected discovery, Cyrus is adrift until he uses his Uprising training to find a way to fight back against the invading force the only way he knows how.
With the help of old friends and new, they will do whatever it takes to protect each other and those they love, even if it means sacrificing being together, their way of life, and even their very lives.
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Excerpt Evan
Liquid fills my nose and mouth and I claw in front of me, searching for the surface. I gasp, choking on a combination of air and water and shove my drenched hair out of my face. Hercules One holds an empty bucket at his side, water still dripping from the rim.
Dizziness takes hold when I sit up, my body tilting. H-1 grabs my biceps, yanking me to my feet mere moments before my head would have conked on the concrete. Guess he wants the honor of doing the head conking himself.
Something about my face doesn’t feel right. My fingers run over the planes of my face, hitting a tender spot on my cheek. Pain shoots through my jaw and into my head while stars dance across my vision until everything disappears.
Another blast of water hits my face and my eyes fly open to a pair of cold blue ones staring back at me. “Where did you train?” Draya asks.
My lips part to tell her off, but the words catch on their way out.
Hercules Two approaches me, and without warning his fist is in my stomach. A yell tears from my raw throat and I double over, screaming through my teeth.
“Where. Did. You. Train.”
“In the Northwest,” I gasp.
“Where in the Northwest? Which camp?”
The pain begins to ebb, allowing me to control my mouth. If I tell them what they want, they’ll have no reason to keep me alive. I’m just not sure how much I can tolerate before I verbally vomit the truth along with the threatening bile. H-2 strikes the left side of my face with the back of his hand, sending blinding pain racing from my head into my spine.
“Northwest Seven,” I scream. Shit, at this rate, I’ll tell them everything and be dead within an hour.
Draya’s eyes dim rather than brighten with the information. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Who was with you?”
“Other recruits. There was a whole truckload of us, plus all the kids already there.”
She narrows her gaze before turning on her heel and leaving the room, returning a few moments later with a tablet. “Several soldiers left that camp unauthorized, including the commander. Who was your commander, and where is he now?”
What the hell? First, I’m not telling her anything about Cyrus, even if she tortures me, but second… “Don’t you know who the commander was?”
Her only response is an unblinking stare.
The open-palmed slap doesn’t hurt any less as it rocks my head to the side. The stakes are too high now, and I manage to keep my mouth shut. “Answer the commander,” H-2 snarls.
I bite my lips together and prepare for the next blow, another backhand across my face. In an instant, the face of the first girl I shot to save Marcus’s life flashes before me. I close my eyes and do my best to stand a little straighter and take the next strike as penance for her. The fist in the gut is for the boy I killed, and I crumple to the floor. The boot to my ribs is for the kids blown up when the explosives went off. I hear the first crack, more than feel it. What they’re doing to me pales in comparison to what I did. I can take this, I deserve it. But I can’t prevent the small whimpers from escaping with each kick until the merciful darkness comes to take me again.
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sad woman sitting alone in a empty room
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Author T.H. Hernandez
About the Author T.H. Hernandez is the author of young adult books. The Union, a futuristic dystopian adventure, was a finalist in the 2015 San Diego book awards in the Young Adult Fiction category.
If she’s not writing, you can usually find her reading, finishing more than 200 books over the past two years. She loves pumpkin spice lattes, Comic-Con, Star Wars, Doctor Who marathons, Bad Lip Reading videos, and all things young adult, especially the three young adults who share her home.
When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside her head, T.H. Hernandez lives in usually sunny San Diego, California with her husband and three children, a couple of cats and a dog who thinks he’s a cat, often referred to as “the puppycat.”
THE INVASION releases on August 1, but you can check out a teaser now. THE INVASION is the fourth book in the young adult dystopian romance series, The Union. See below for information on the book, pre-order links, an exclusive teaser, and details on the giveaway.
Synopsis They failed. Evan and Cyrus risked everything to keep the Uprising from attacking the unarmed Union, but something went terribly wrong. Evan’s home has been invaded by soldiers who are killing government officials and occupying the homes of her fellow citizens.
Captured by the Uprising, Evan fights for her life and her sanity, desperate to escape so she can find Cyrus and her family.
Reeling from an unexpected discovery, Cyrus is adrift until he uses his Uprising training to find a way to fight back against the invading force the only way he knows how.
With the help of old friends and new, they will do whatever it takes to protect each other and those they love, even if it means sacrificing being together, their way of life, and even their very lives.
.
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Author T.H. Hernandez
About the Author T.H. Hernandez is the author of young adult books. The Union, a futuristic dystopian adventure, was a finalist in the 2015 San Diego book awards in the Young Adult Fiction category.
If she’s not writing, you can usually find her reading, finishing more than 200 books over the past two years. She loves pumpkin spice lattes, Comic-Con, Star Wars, Doctor Who marathons, Bad Lip Reading videos, and all things young adult, especially the three young adults who share her home.
When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside her head, T.H. Hernandez lives in usually sunny San Diego, California with her husband and three children, a couple of cats and a dog who thinks he’s a cat, often referred to as “the puppycat.”
Here is the cover to THE INVASION, the fourth book in the young adult dystopian romance series, The Union, releasing August 1, 2017. See below for the cover, information on the book and series, pre-order links, an exclusive excerpt, and details on the giveaway. You can currently pick up THE UNION, book 1 in the series, for just $0.99.
Synopsis They failed. Evan and Cyrus risked everything to keep the Uprising from attacking the unarmed Union, but something went terribly wrong. Evan’s home has been invaded by soldiers who are killing government officials and occupying the homes of her fellow citizens.
Captured by the Uprising, Evan fights for her life and her sanity, desperate to escape so she can find Cyrus and her family.
Reeling from an unexpected discovery, Cyrus is adrift until he uses his Uprising training to find a way to fight back against the invading force the only way he knows how.
With the help of old friends and new, they will do whatever it takes to protect each other and those they love, even if it means sacrificing being together, their way of life, and even their very lives.
.
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THE INVASION (The Union Series #4) by T.H. Hernandez (Full Cover)
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Excerpt Cyrus
The hum of activity in the station draws my attention away from my dark thoughts. No clue how I got here. The blood on my knuckle has dried and my fist throbs, although I’m considering putting it through another wall. A harried woman rushes past me on her way to the ticket machine, her destination most likely known. Mine on the other hand … not so much.
I wander over to the elevators and push both buttons. Whichever one arrives first will decide my fate. Up will take me to the A-Train. Back to the Northwest before heading home. Down, means I’m staying. At least for now.
A bell chimes and the doors slide open, the down arrow illuminated. I step to the side as people pour out in a hurry to catch a ride to their final destinations. Stepping into the now empty car, I press the button for the lowest level and descend to the beach. Hours pass as I walk along the shore, going over everything in my head, anger surging in waves. Being pissed off may not be rational, but nothing about this is rational.
Hell, she disappeared into herself because she thought the asshat was dead, but he’s alive and in her fucking bed. Morning gives way to afternoon and finally evening, and I’ve probably clocked twenty miles without eating.
Pivoting away from the water’s edge, I trudge through the sand to the closest commuter station and hop a train to the back wall. I ride an elevator up, putting maximum distance between me and the ocean. As much as I love it, being there reminds me too much of her.
On the top level, I enter the first pub I find with every intent of getting piss-ass drunk. When I sober up, I’ll head back out to the Ruins. Fuck fate, I’m done here. I shove my way through the crowd to an open stool at the bar.
A middle-aged bartender with a starched shirt and a crazy mustache that curls beyond his face flips a cocktail napkin onto the counter. “What’ll it be?”
“Scotch.”
Moments later he sets my drink in front of me, and I down it in one gulp. The alcohol burns my throat before warming my stomach on its way to my arms and legs, taking the edge off. When I catch the bartender’s eye, I signal for another. Between sips, I stare at the ice cubes, forcing myself to think about the scotch, the scratches in the wood, anything but what I saw in that hotel room this morning. Soon the booze works its magic, leaving me pleasantly buzzed. Guzzling the last of the amber liquid, I set the glass down a little harder than necessary and order a third.
Bodies fill the large club, voices droning above the background music. A group of girls to my left are all wearing body-hugging outfits, an over-abundance of makeup, and screaming as they do shots. They’re all very attractive, or at least they are in my alcohol-induced state.
One girl in particular is extraordinarily beautiful in an artificial way. She’s tall and slender with dark silky hair and overly-made-up eyes that are so blue, they nearly look purple. She spots me checking her out and her bright pink lips pull into a smile, showing off straight, blinding white teeth.
She slinks over to me, her flowered dress hugging impressive curves, mesmerizing me with her moves. The knowing smile says she’s aware of her effect on me. She reaches out and places a tan hand on my arm. “Whoever she is, she’s a fool.”
I throw her a smooth grin, the kind that always gets me into plenty of trouble. “Is it that obvious?”
“I’ve seen guys drink that much scotch for only one reason. She must have been an idiot to let you go.”
Her voice is rich and velvety, and my body is responding even if my brain isn’t engaged. Maybe what I need is a night of distraction. What could it hurt? I can catch the first train in the morning.
I signal the bartender and turn to the girl to find out what she wants. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”
Synopsis After global warming and a second civil war devastated the former United States, two different societies rose from the ashes – the Union, a towering high-tech utopia, hugging the perimeter of the continent, and the devastated, untamed midsection known as the Ruins.
Seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor has an easy, privileged life in the Union. What she doesn’t have is any idea what to do with the rest of her life. She only knows she wants to do something meaningful, to make a difference in the lives of others.
When she’s kidnapped and taken into the Ruins as a pawn in a dispute involving her boyfriend, Bryce, her ideal world is turned upside down.
What she learns while in the Ruins shakes her faith in everything she’s ever known, from Bryce, to her family, and even the Union itself.
Now Evan must choose whether to stay with Cyrus, the sexy, resourceful survivor who believes she’s in the Ruins for a reason, or return to the only life she’s ever known.
But when she stumbles upon a dangerous plot that threatens both worlds, her decision could tear her apart.
Synopsis Heartbroken, grief-stricken, and wracked with guilt, seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor returned to the Union, leaving behind the boy she loved.
Now, she and her friends must find a way to do the impossible – warn the citizens of the Union about an impending rebel attack without alerting the government and risking retaliation against her friends in the Ruins.
When every move Evan makes is thwarted, it soon becomes clear she’s being watched.
Faced with a daily fight to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, she returns to the Ruins. But life in the Ruins has its own dangers, and soon she’s fighting a different battle – to stay alive long enough to discover the truth.
THE RUINS is the second book in THE UNION series, a young adult romantic adventure set in the near future.
Synopsis Recovering from a near-fatal gunshot wound, eighteen-year-old Evan Taylor must find a way to stop the Uprising, an underground movement committed to destroying the Union, before her homeland is attacked.
After spending the last four months in the Ruins trying to get back to the only girl he’s ever loved, nineteen-year-old Cyrus needs to get past his jealousy over Evan’s involvement with Bryce or risk losing her again.
Together, Evan and Cyrus join with their friends to devise a plan to save both the Ruins and the Union, but when the pressure’s on, bickering and infighting threaten to undermine their goals.
New information revealing a weakness in the Uprising is uncovered, forcing them to act quickly or risk losing everything.
With the help of old friends and new allies they set out to make history, but it might just take a miracle for everyone to make it out alive.
THE UPRISING is the third book in THE UNION series, a young adult romantic adventure set in the near future.
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Author T.H. Hernandez
About the Author T.H. Hernandez is the author of young adult books. The Union, a futuristic dystopian adventure, was a finalist in the 2015 San Diego book awards in the Young Adult Fiction category.
If she’s not writing, you can usually find her reading, finishing more than 200 books over the past two years. She loves pumpkin spice lattes, Comic-Con, Star Wars, Doctor Who marathons, Bad Lip Reading videos, and all things young adult, especially the three young adults who share her home.
When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside her head, T.H. Hernandez lives in usually sunny San Diego, California with her husband and three children, a couple of cats and a dog who thinks he’s a cat, often referred to as “the puppycat.”
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Sweet. Here’s a line from Chapter 8 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Cyrus’s POV.
“You’re sweet and brave and a lot of other things I admire in girls, but…I’m not…over…someone else.”
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Door. Here’s a line from Chapter 6 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Evan’s POV.
Halfway down, he halts in front of a windowless door and pulls it open, shoving me inside.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Sit, Sat or Seat. Here’s a line from Chapter 10 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Evan’s POV.
A soldier approaches, carrying a thick metal rod. A small white scar cuts across his square jaw that sits below thin, pursed lips.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
I haven’t participated in #1LineWed in quite a while, but I’m back to editing, The Invasion, my current WIP and ready to play again! Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Under. Here’s a line from Chapter 1 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Cyrus’s POV.
Blondie gasps as the full extent of my injuries becomes visible and takes a step back, as if I’m contagious. “Holy hell,” she says under her breath.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Work. Here’s a line from Chapter 1 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Cyrus’s POV.
Behind that door is an answer, ending two months of uncertainty, because this limbo shit isn’t working for me.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Earth or Dirt. Here’s a line from Chapter 46 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Evan’s POV.
My face buried in his shoulder, I inhale his scent of soap, sweat, and earth. He smells like Cyrus, like home.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Line. Here’s a line from Chapter 6 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Evan’s POV.
His dark eyes narrow into slits, his thin lips press into a tight line.His next blow isn’t to my stomach, though, this time he aims at my face.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Late. Here’s a line from Chapter 3 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Evan’s POV.
Chase drapes an arm over my shoulder, but it’s too late, the soldier has already seen my Uprising tattoo.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Anger. Here’s a line from Chapter 28 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Cyrus’s POV.
My fingers brush against the angry scars on her back, and she freezes at the same time I do.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Pretty. Here’s a line from Chapter 6 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Cyrus’s POV.
Once the Uprising figures out who was behind the attacks on the camps, we’re all pretty much screwed.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Pull. Here’s a line from Chapter 4 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Cyrus’s POV.
“Hey, asshole!” The big dude beside me glares, sleeves rolled to his elbows, his shirt gaping between buttons where it’s pulled over his extended belly.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Every book requires research, some more than others. Part of the fun of setting The Union Series in the future was the ability to make up my story world according to my own rules. This is true of science fiction, fantasy and a number of other genres. Authors get to define the political structure and the rule of law. While this can reduce the amount of research required over historical fiction or a contemporary thriller, it doesn’t eliminate the need altogether.
Even though The Union Series is set in a fictional future, I still wanted as much authenticity as possible, meaning I needed to do my homework. Not only did I need to investigate current technology, but where this technology is likely heading, and how much the collapse of the world’s largest economy might impact its advancement.
Those were the safe searches I conducted, the ones unlikely to raise any red flags if the NSA is monitoring my internet usage. But The Uprising is about a counter-revolution, war, hand-to-hand combat, shootings, blowing stuff up. In order to make sure my plot remained plausible, I had to Google where someone could get their hands on black-market weapons, how to set explosives, and a few other things I won’t mention to avoid spoiling anything, but you get the idea.
My editor posted the above image on my Facebook page, saying we both needed a coffee mug or T-shirt with this printed on it. I know why I need it, but wasn’t sure why she did, until she explained that she always does her own research to make sure what I’ve written is accurate.
I had no idea she went to such lengths. It’s one thing to put your own future freedom on the line for the sake of craft, but it’s above and beyond the call of duty to take that risk for a client, even if said client is also family. At least if they come for me, I’ll have someone I know to hang out with. Plus, we both know a few cool new skills thanks to some scary internet searches.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is 23. Here’s a line from page 23 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Cyrus’s POV.
The girl from the bar pushes her door closed and presses me against it. She kisses me hard, desperate, hot, wrong. She feels and tastes like a mistake.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Now. Here’s a line from chapter 4 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Cyrus’s POV.
“It…it reminds me of…” Of what? What I gave up to be here? The girl I love who’s now screwing someone else?
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Every book requires research, some more than others. Part of the fun of setting The Union Series in the future was the ability to make up my story world according to my own rules. This is true of science fiction, fantasy and a number of other genres. Authors get to define the political structure and the rule of law. While this can reduce the amount of research required over historical fiction or a contemporary thriller, it doesn’t eliminate the need altogether.